The creamy stew with chestnuts and red wine is the perfect main course for this season: incredibly tender and flavorful.
The butcher recommended the beef chain, found at the back of the thigh attached to the eye of round. It’s a long muscle, rich in fibers and connective tissue — perfect for stews, boiled dishes, braises or slow-cooked dishes.
During slow cooking, the collagen melts, making the meat incredibly tender and the sauce creamy.
Of course, other cuts such as the shoulder clod or chuck are also fine; the important thing is that they are suitable for the long cooking typical of stews.
The pre-cooked chestnuts, added in the last half hour of cooking, give the dish a truly unique sweetness and a flavor reminiscent of autumn.
For the best outcome of the recipe of creamy stew with chestnuts, patience is required, but only because the cooking takes about 2 hours on low heat… patience that will be well rewarded by the final result.
READ THE F.A.Q. AND TIPS AT THE END OF THE RECIPE.
OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Slow Cooking, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Autumn
Ingredients
- 2.64 lbs beef (chain cut or shoulder clod or chuck)
- 2 tablespoons type 1 flour (or all-purpose)
- 1 cup red wine (full-bodied like Montepulciano)
- 2 cups beef broth (or vegetable)
- 7 oz chestnuts, boiled (or steamed)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- bay leaf
- rosemary
- salt
- sofrito mix (celery, carrot, onion)
- extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Chopper
- Casserole
Steps
The day before, I steamed the chestnuts with the Bimby TM6 Varoma; I peeled them and set them aside. You can also boil them traditionally or buy pre-cooked ones (read the tips and FAQs).
Using the chopper, I chopped a carrot, a stalk of celery, and a small onion for the sofrito.
I had the butcher cut the meat into chunks of about 2 inches.
Flour the pieces of meat and shake off the excess flour.
Heat the oil in the casserole and brown the meat well to seal its pores, without burning it. When all pieces are well browned, temporarily remove them from the casserole.
Moisten the bottom of the pot with a little water (which should not be burnt), add the sofrito and stew for a few minutes. Then add the tomato paste.
Put the meat back in the casserole, stir with a wooden spoon to flavor it with the vegetables and tomato paste, then deglaze with the red wine. Add the bay leaf and rosemary.
Pour in the hot broth, cover with a lid and cook on low flame for at least 1.5 hours. After the first 50 minutes, check the liquid, and if necessary, add a little hot broth.
About half an hour before turning off, add the chestnuts; close and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender and the cooking broth thick and creamy.
Before turning off, adjust the salt and, if you like, a little pepper.
Tips:
For extra creaminess, mash 3–4 chestnuts with the spoon during the last minutes of cooking: they will make the sauce velvety.
It can be prepared in advance and reheated on low flame the next day: it will be even more tender.
Great with mashed potatoes, soft polenta or rustic bread crostini.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How can I make the stew very tender?
The key is slow cooking at low heat. It should never boil vigorously: gentle heat allows the collagen in the meat to dissolve, making it tender and the sauce creamy.
Can I use frozen chestnuts?
Yes, they are perfectly fine. Steamed or frozen chestnuts should be added in the last 30 minutes of cooking, while pre-boiled ones in the last 10–15 minutes.
Can it be prepared in advance?
Absolutely yes: in fact, it’s even better the next day, as the flavors blend better. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat it on low heat with a splash of broth.
